Campaigners to prevent Macclesfield greenspace partly owned by Cheshire East Council to become housing have questioned the prior approval vote of six years ago.

'SAVE DANES MOSS', who are fighting to stop 950 homes and other buildings be built on the fringes of a nature reserve in South Macclesfield, have penned an open letter to a Cheshire East Councillor.

Cllr Sarah Pochin, a non-grouped councillor for Bunbury and former Cheshire East Mayor, is the recipient of the message regarding her prior approval vote of the site near the Danes Moss Nature Reserve.

Cheshire East Council will benefit from the controversial plans going through, as they own some of the land through their company Engine of the North Ltd, of which SDM claim Cllr Pochin should have declared her involvement with.

Peatlands at the South Macclesfield site. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

It reads as follows:

"Dear Cllr Pochin,

"This is an open letter sent to you on behalf of Save Danes Moss Community Group. We last wrote to you one month ago on the 7th of February and have had no reply. 

"I am writing for clarification on a matter relating to declarations of interest at the Strategic Planning Board meeting on 30 August 2017. At this meeting an outline application (17/1874M) for the South Macclesfield Development Area (SMDA) was discussed and voted on with you speaking strongly in favour of the application. 

"I thought that since you had been a director of the joint applicant, Engine of the North, from 1 June 2015 until 31 May 2016 that you may have been moved to declare an interest or even recuse yourself from voting. Your time as a director was quite pivotal for this application as it included the SMDA Collaboration Agreement with TG Ltd being approved by the Cabinet Member for Regeneration on 16 May 2016. 

Cllr Sarah Pochin. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"For context, other SPB members did declare an interest for the following reasons.

"Cllr Hammond: former director of ANSA Environmental Services Ltd who were consultees on the application.

"Cllr [Steve] Hogben: as above. 

"Cllr [Lesley] Smetham: stated she was a member of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

The future of the site will be a hot topic ahead of May's local elections. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

"Cllr [Gillian] Merry (chair): stated she had received a briefing note from Engine of the North which all SPB members had received. 

"Cllr [Liz] Wardlaw: stated that she was a Cabinet Portfolio holder for Health who had been consultees on the application. 

"There is no record in the minutes or audio recording of this meeting of you declaring your interest as a former director of the applicant although you did speak about Engine of the North multiple times and commended for their work on the application.

"Maybe my group has missed something and you could help us understand what we have missed? It is hard for us to understand why you did not declare an interest on record."

Campaigners hold 'SAVE DANES MOSS' signs outside Macclesfield Leisure Centre on Priory Lane. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

Cllr Pochin has not responded to the letter as of Thursday March 9.

Macclesfield Nub News will also contact Cllr Pochin for comment.

Cheshire East Council have denied to comment on 'live planning applications', when Macclesfield Nub News has asked them about the South Macclesfield Development area.

Activists want the housing plans to not go ahead, as it will ruin habitats and release over 200,000 cubic tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is currently stored in the site's peatlands.

A 'SAVE DANES MOSS' poster outside a business in Macclesfield. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

But the site could provide a huge financial boost to the coffers of the cash-strapped council, despite the site being described as 'Cheshire's Amazon rainforest' by campaigners.

It has been thirteen months since Macclesfield Nub News first covered the 'SAVE DANES MOSS' campaign.

A second petition has been launched to stop the plans, which is inching ever-closer to the 5000 signature goal. You can sign it HERE.

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